In creating a maritime renaissance in the U.S., there is a lot of work, discussion, and money going toward not just buying more ships, but also expanding the industrial base and training skilled tradespeople to make that expansion possible. A cornerstone of this should be training more dedicated Merchant Mariners and employing their skills in a better way.

Returning to Midrats is Brent D. Sadler to discuss this and related topics. Along with Hollins Randolph and Peter Lynch, he co-authored a report at Heritage, Time to Bring Back the U.S. Maritime Service to Support America’s Maritime Revival and a Wartime Economy, that we will use as a basis for our conversation.

Brent is Senior Research Fellow for Naval Warfare and Advanced Technology in the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for National Security at The Heritage Foundation, and a retired U.S. Navy Captain.

Summary

This episode features Brent Sadler from the Heritage Foundation discussing the urgent need to revitalize the US maritime industry, focusing on the reactivation of the US Maritime Service, improving merchant marine training, and enhancing logistics for national security and wartime readiness.

Chapters

00:00: Revitalizing Naval Power and Merchant Marine Support
02:34: The Importance of Merchant Mariners
06:19: Organizational Challenges in Maritime Operations
12:17: Credentialing and Training Issues
15:06: The TidalWave Project and Sea Lift Requirements
20:03: Leadership and Cultural Shifts in Maritime Services
25:10: Immediate Solutions for Maritime Needs
30:39: Addressing Vulnerabilities in Maritime Logistics